"I'm about ready to break out the champagne," DeWitt said.
"I'll drink to that," Villanova said.
"Not just yet, though. We still have seven more runs to perform."
The festive mood dropped into oblivion with the next run. The dummy bomb dropped over a thousand kilometers from the target.
"What happened?" DeWitt asked with unmistakable incredulity in her voice.
"It can't be the weapons system," Villanova said. "Either the tac officer failed to turn control over to the targeting computer in time, or it's a problem with either the dummy or the cradle. My money is on the dummy or cradle."
"I hope so. A defective dummy or cradle is acceptable. Both can easily be replaced."
The remaining six runs produced results like the first three. Only the one dummy bomb on run four dropped outside the fifteen-meter radius established by Captain DeWitt.
"Okay," DeWitt said as the dummy bombs were retrieved and the ships headed back to Quesann, "I'm going to break out the champagne when we get back."
"Even with the one bad run?" Villanova said.
"Even with one bad run. We know we've licked the main problems. We just have to tighten up production variables on the cradles and bombs. The important thing is that we can drop a bomb inside any of the enemy ships and they can't hurt us while we're doing it."
"As far as we know— ," Villanova said. "I'll hold off on the celebration until after we've successfully employed the weapons. We still don't know if the bombs will explode once they escape the Transverse Wave envelope if they reintegrate as part of a deck, bulkhead, or equipment."
"You're such a downer sometimes, Ernesto," DeWitt said. She looked serious, but Villanova had been with her for a long time and knew she was joking. "Okay, we'll hold off on the celebration party until after the bombs are used effectively."
* * *
"The tests went quite well, Admiral," Captain DeWitt said to Jenetta the following day. Only one dummy bomb fell outside the acceptable range."
"I read the report you submitted last evening," Jenetta said. "I'd have to agree that a thousand kilometers is outside the acceptable range, but I want to congratulate you on the success of the other nine. What went wrong with number four?"
"We’ve confirmed that the drop command was timed perfectly. The problem occurred after the release. Our original speculation was a defect with either the dummy or the cradle. The dummy checked out fine, so now we need to look at cradle Echo Four. In order to perform that inspection properly, we have to move the Tigris into the Winston again. We'd like to do that today, but we need you to issue that order."
"I'll have my aide take care of that as soon as we're done here."
"That's all I have, Admiral."
"Then we're done here."
* * *
Once the enormous pumps had reduced the pressure in the hold to zero, the forward hull doors of the Winston opened wide to accept the Tigris. The disparity in size between the ships could make one reminiscent of a guppy being swallowed by a large fish in an aquarium. Shipyard tugs then slowly and carefully pushed the Tigris into place inside the hull, where engineers in EVA suits secured it. The huge doors closed as soon the tugs returned to their parking docks inside the ship, but it would be an hour before the pressure and temperature returned to a level where workers didn't require special environmental suits to work in the hold.
To the naked eye, the Echo Four bomb cradle looked fine, but once the special measurement equipment was in place against the hull, the cradle was discovered to be misaligned with the hull opening. The misalignment was minute, but it was just enough to account for the release of the dummy bomb being delayed by a couple of nanoseconds.
Several hours later, the cradle had been removed and then reinstalled properly. During that time, engineers checked the alignment of the other ninety-nine cradles in the Tigris hull. They discovered three more cradles whose alignment didn't come up to spec, so each of the other cradles were removed and reinstalled.
A check of the installation records showed that the same engineering team had installed all four cradles. Their names were immediately removed from the work assignment roster and they were ordered confined to their quarters pending an investigation and possible preference of charges. If charged and found guilty of Failure to Follow Instructions and Directives, their pay could be docked, and they might have to work extra duty assignments. In addition to the four cradles in the Tigris hull, the team had installed sixteen cradles in the other ships being converted for use as bombers. All would have to be carefully checked to see if the sloppy work had persisted. Captain DeWitt, upset with learning that the poor workmanship involved more than the one cradle in the Tigris, issued orders that every cradle in every ship be checked for alignment after the work was declared complete and before the ship was released from the Winston.
While all ships and bridge crews were required to undergo training at the bomb drop test area before being certified ready for active duty with the new weapon system, Captain DeWitt further ordered that during the testing every single cradle had to meet the maximum radius drop requirement of fifteen meters. She immediately ordered her machinists to begin creating an additional one hundred dummy bombs for the new testing requirements.
"Four ships, the Tigris, Zambezi, Purus, and Niagara, are certified ready for bomber duty, Admiral. I expect to certify two more by the weekend, assuming they complete their testing by then. The other four could be ready as soon as ten days from now if all goes well."
"And each of the four ships that are certified now have all dropped their bombs in a fifteen-meter radius of the target, Barbara?"
"Yes, ma'am. That's the minimum I would accept after we proved the targeting system was capable of that performance level. All problems since then have been discovered to be with either the dummy bombs or owed to cradle misalignment, and all problems have been resolved and testing procedures put into practice to ensure those problems will not reoccur."
"And the issue of whether the weapons will explode if they reintegrate inside a bulkhead or deck?"
"For that, we'll just have to wait and see. We estimate that, statistically, a bomb will emerge in the clear at least twenty-five percent of the time. So at least one in four will detonate properly."
"One in four? Not very good odds."
"That's not to say that the bombs that reintegrate inside bulkheads and decks won't detonate. We just don't know."
"I'm sure you've heard of the mother ships being watched by our people out near the Hudeerac border, right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"They're reported as being four times the size of Stewart SCB. With a target that size, our bombs should have no problems hitting their target, but I doubt that one bomb will do the job we need done. How difficult would it be to drop three bombs at once, like firing a three-round burst from an automatic weapon? The bombs should be spaced so that they drop roughly five to ten kilometers apart."
"It shouldn't be very difficult at all. It would only involve making a few changes to the weapons computer. The tac officer could have a choice of dropping a single bomb or a threesome."
"If you can accomplish that before all ten of the bombers are ready to deploy, I'd like to do it."
"Yes, ma'am. We'll get on it right away. It'll be ready before the bombers are ready to deploy."
"Thank you, Barbara. And extend my thanks to your entire department. I know how hard you've all worked to get us to this point. I'm sure your efforts will pay off when we meet the enemy. We're going to show them why they never should have entered our territory and attacked our ships. We'll teach the Denubbewa a lesson they won't live long enough to forget."
* * *
Chapter Twenty-Four
~ January 4th, 2288 ~
"Good God!" Captain Zakir Singh of the DS destroyer Duluth said after receiving a report about the latest flyby of the enemy mother ships. The mother ship they had been expecting for months had just reached the rendezvous p
oint where the other two were waiting, but it didn't arrive alone. It was accompanied by yet another mother ship. "Now we know why it's a few hours late getting here. It met up with another ship on the way."
"It was alone when we located it and determined it was headed to this RP, sir," Commander Marc Hodenfield of the scout-destroyer Rio Grande said. "How many more of these things can there be in GA space?" he asked rhetorically.
"I don't know, but I know that four is four too many."
"The ship we've been watching was alone on the last flyby," Commander Fischer of the Yukon said. "They must have joined up in the last couple of hours. It's just a coincidence they arrived at about the same time."
"Coincidence or not, I'm not liking this situation," Captain Singh said.
"What do you think they'll do now, Captain?" Fischer asked.
"I wish I knew. If they feel they've reached adequate strength, or if all their assets are in place, they might begin their push into GA space. If they're waiting for additional reinforcements, they might just sit here until they arrive. Your guess is as good as mine."
* * *
"This will be the last meeting of the R2HQ Board that I chair for a while," Jenetta said after the formalities of opening the meeting had been satisfied. "Admiral Holt will be assuming my duties during my absence. A few hours from now, I'll be aboard the Ares when it deploys to join our assembled forces near the border with the Hudeerac nation. The scout-destroyers modified with the new bomb capability and the ten SD ships upgraded with the new targeting software will be accompanying the Ares. Our weapons people have done everything asked of them and more. I feel we have a weapon now that offers us a chance to defeat the enemy that has invaded our territory and murdered our people without issuing a formal declaration of war. I intend to make this attempt before any more of their mother ships arrive. We are currently tracking three, but there may be more on their way or already here. At our fastest speed, travel to the RP is about sixty days. Communications are twenty-four days each way, so the situation might already be different from our last reports. Based on current knowledge, our best chance to defeat this group is now while they're concentrated in one location. Once we use our new weapon for the first time, I expect them to retreat and attempt to adapt by formulating a new strategy or defense, just as we have done."
"The new weapon is proven, isn't it?" Admiral Buckner asked.
"In tests, it has performed up to the standards we've established, but the true effectiveness of a weapon is judged by how well it performs under battlefield conditions. It would be wonderful if development of this weapon was owed to military preparedness rather than response to an emergency condition, because much more testing would have answered some strong, lingering questions we have about its operational effectiveness, but the remaining questions will have to be answered in combat."
"What sort of operational effectiveness?" Buckner asked.
"Security concerns prevent me from discussing that aspect in this meeting, but I'll be happy to answer your question at a later time in a more secure environment."
Buckner nodded to show he understood. Although there was no gallery for this meeting, many of the clerks didn't have sufficient security clearance to hear specific facts about the new top-secret weapon.
"Welcome aboard, Admiral," Captain Lawrence Gavin said as Jenetta stepped from the shuttle with her two jumakas and her aide, Commander Ashraf.
"Thank you, Larry. I'm delighted to be aboard again." Jenetta paused and breathed deeply, then exhaled. "Ah, just as I remember it."
Gavin chuckled. "Feels like coming home, doesn't it?"
"It feels like years rather than just the eight months since we returned from Earth."
"Shall we go to your bridge office, Admiral?"
Jenetta nodded, and a few minutes later they were in a transport car zipping through the two-kilometer-long ship. Arriving at the frame section where the Admiral's bridge was located, they exited the car and entered a lift. When they stepped from the lift car, they were just a short walk from the corridor that led to the Admiral's bridge. Three Marine sentries were on duty there— one at the entrance to the corridor, one at the entrance to the Admiral's suite, and the third at the entrance to the bridge.
A tactical officer and com chief were the only personnel on duty on the Admiral's bridge when they entered, and both came to immediate attention.
"As you were," Jenetta said, then disappeared into her office with Captain Gavin right behind her. "Coffee, Larry?" she asked as she headed to the beverage dispenser. Her two jumakas headed to their favorite spots in the room.
"Thanks, Jen," he said. "I could go for a cup." He followed her over to the dispenser and accepted the mug when she held it out to him, then followed her to the informal seating area. Once both were settled, he said, "If I have to go into battle again, I'm glad you're leading the charge."
"This will be the first time we aren't on the front line. The missiles that the Denubbewa use mean we can't expose ourselves as we have in past wars. The scout-destroyers will take the lead, and even they won't be exposing themselves in a traditional sense. Let me explain the offensive strategy we'll be using."
Ten minutes later, Gavin said, "Whew. I'd heard the rumors about a new secret weapon, but this is above and beyond what I ever expected. So if I understand correctly, if the bomb reintegrates into an open area, it will detonate, but if it reintegrates inside a bulkhead or deck, it might not?"
"We don't know what the percentage of detonations would be under those circumstances. It's been speculated that if the bulkhead or deck intruded into the nuclear core, the reaction would be completely nullified, and that makes perfect sense because it wouldn't be able to reach critical mass. It would all depend on where the interruption occurs within the bomb."
"And if it fails to detonate?"
"The scout-destroyer will make another pass and try again. And again and again until we accomplish our goal, which is the complete destruction of the mother ship. My head of Weapons Research and Development, Captain DeWitt, estimates that as many as three out of four bombs could reintegrate inside a bulkhead or deck. But we'll keep at it until their ship looks twice as bad as the Yenisei and the Salado."
"Do we have enough ordnance for that?"
"The AB increased my modest ordnance request to fifteen thousand devices. I had no way of knowing if the idea was even workable, so I kept the original quantities low. Apparently, the AB had greater confidence in the idea and built enough for a protracted engagement. One thousand have already been loaded into the cradles of the ten bombers, and the other fourteen thousand are securely stored in a hold of the Ferdinand."
"I wondered why we were bringing a DS quartermaster transport with us."
"It had just delivered cargo to Quesann. I appropriated it temporarily for this campaign. I sent a vidMail to Admiral Ahmed, but since communication with Earth takes almost eighteen days, she hasn't received it yet. I doubt she'll object, given the gravity of the situation."
"I'm sure she won't. Are there really mother ships that are five times the size of the asteroid where Stewart SCB is located?"
"The mother ships are twice the length of the base but many times the width and depth. We have no idea how they're constructed inside, but they definitely have enough size to support hundreds of thousands of beings."
"And there are three of them?"
"That was the count in the last daily reports from the ships tasked to keep an eye on them. What we fear now is that more might be on the way. We have intelligence that says the ships here have reported back that this part of space is ripe for a takeover. They've requested a full contingent of ships to support their play. I assume that means an armada of those ships with tens of thousands of missiles."
Gavin nodded silently as he thought about the ramifications.
"That's the situation we're facing this time, Larry. Not a rosy picture. I'm betting everything we've got on this new weapon."
"That's good enou
gh for me."
"I guess we should get going. We don't want to be late arriving at the party."
Gavin smiled, finished off his coffee and stood up. "Yes, ma'am, Admiral."
As he headed for the door, Jenetta said, "Come on back after we're underway. We have some catching up to do."
Gavin looked back, smiled again, and said, "Yes, ma'am, Admiral."
* * *
Stephen Strauss plopped into his office chair and sighed. He wasn't enjoying the job half as much as he'd expected. Life had become one long series of boring meetings. He'd always been the sort that enjoyed life on the front lines, and now he was just a button pusher. But it would all be worth it when he moved up to the Upper Council. They had four vacant positions to fill now that the four former members were gone. While the Lower Council members worked their tails off keeping the corporation running day to day, the Upper Council met just once a week to set policy and then disappeared back to their luxury existences as wealthy patrons of the arts or whatever.
Activating his computer, he checked his message queue. He was surprised to see one from the Upper Council Chairman. Perhaps this was what he'd been waiting for. He excitedly called the message and leaned in to provide a retinal scan. The DNA Manipulation process was complete for all soft tissues, so his retinal image and finger prints were identical to that of the real Strauss. Or at least identical to what had been the real Strauss before the flesh was melted from his bones and the rest became pet food.
Strauss smiled as the message began to play.
"Arthur," the image of the gorgeous Chairman said, "it's time to fill the vacancies on the Upper Council. We've long been impressed with your managerial capabilities and would love to have you join us— but we just don't have anyone who can fill your shoes. So we’ve decided to double your salary and expense accounts and have you remain where you are. We know the Lower Council will continue to perform at its extraordinary level under your guidance.
"But we still need to promote four top executives, so we've selected Erika Overgaard, Bentley Blosworth, Frederick Kelleher, and Ahil Fazid. It's not necessary that you notify them. We've already taken care of that. They'll join us at the next regularly scheduled meeting. In the meantime, you'll work with them to promote someone from each of their departments to the Lower Council. That's all."
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